Here is a summary of the latest police news on the Fleurieu.

Schoolies arrests

There were a number of incidents throughout the annual Schoolies Festival held in Victor Harbor from 22-24 November.

Police arrested a man following a search of a car at Victor Harbor mid-festival.

Just before 6.30pm on Saturday 23 November, patrols were called to an area near Bay Road after reports of a suspicious Holden sedan. Patrols located the vehicle on Bay Road and seeing empty plastic bags in the car, police drug detection dog Taco was called to assist with a search.

Police subsequently found a small amount of cannabis, 34 ecstasy pills and a set of scales in a backpack inside the car.

The 18-year-old driver from Henley Beach was arrested and charged with drug trafficking. He has been bailed to appear in the Victor Harbor Magistrates Court on 6 January.

An 18-year-old male school leaver from Wayville was arrested for trafficking a controlled drug after he was found to be in possession of 13 capsules believed to be MDMA. He was granted bail to appear in the Victor Harbor Magistrates Court on 6 January.

Two non-school leavers were arrested; an 18-year-old Seacombe Gardens man was arrested for re-entering the declared public precinct. The second arrest was a 32-year-old man from NSW, who was charged with driving disqualified and riding an unregistered motorbike.

In total, 36 general expiation fines were issued – all for possessing or consuming liquor in a dry zone and urinating in a public place.

Traffic roundup

Police have been busy on the Hills Fleurieu roads during the weekend, with drivers caught under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and sometimes both.

About 7.05pm on Friday 22 November on Cygnet Road, Kingscote, police stopped a 26-year-old woman from Kangaroo Island for a random driver test. She tested positive to cannabis and was issued a driver direction notice preventing her from driving for 24 hours and may face further charges once her drug sample has been forensically analysed. Police were also concerned that the woman had two young children in the car with her.

About 11.57am on Saturday 23 November on Victoria Street at Victor Harbor, police stopped a 44-year-old man from Victor Harbor for a random driver test. The man tested positive to cannabis and was issued a driver direction notice preventing him from driving for 24 hours. He may face further charges once his drug sample has been forensically analysed.

About 7pm on Saturday 23 November on Rapid Drive, McCracken, police stopped a 25-year-old woman from Hayborough in relation to drug driving. It is alleged that the woman tested positive to methamphetamine and was issued a driver direction notice preventing her from driving for 24 hours and may face further charges once her drug sample has been forensically analysed.

About 12.10am on Sunday 24 November on Mount Taylor Road at Gosse, police stopped a 40-year-old man from Kangaroo Island for a random driver test. He returned a positive breath test of 0.06 and also tested positive to cannabis. He was fined for exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol, and may face further charges once his drug sample has been forensically analysed.

About 11.35am on Sunday 24 November as part of a static driver testing station, police stopped a 40-year-old woman from the Fleurieu Peninsula. She underwent a breath test and recorded a positive reading of 0.120. She was reported for exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol, was issued a six-month immediate loss of licence notice and will be summonsed to appear in court at later date.

About 6.53pm on Sunday 24 November on George Main Road at Victor Harbor as part of a driver testing station, police stopped a 35-year-old man from Wirrina Cove. The man recorded a positive breath test of 0.073 and was issued a fine for exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol.

Top tips for a secure festive season

As Christmas approaches, it is important not to provide opportunistic thieves with any opening to take your valuables – either from your home, vehicle or in a public setting.

Ensure you pay attention to the location of your wallet and/or handbag, and valuable portable items such as your phone, as a moment’s distraction can provide a window of opportunity for a thief.

In addition to the economic loss, any theft can be a major inconvenience at this time of year.

Portable valuables should not be left in view inside parked motor vehicles, and police also recommend that Christmas trees with traditional displays of gifts, not be visible to passers-by.

When shopping online, ensure your computer has up-to-date internet security and remember that if a deal sounds too good to be true, that it probably is!

And if shopping in the real world, be aware of your surroundings and the location of your bag, trolley or purchases.

SA Police have a great range of tips and tricks available free online to help with your personal and business security – so please take a look and review your circumstances.